Having many children brings many blessings; the struggle for power begins with marriage.

Chapter 288 I am willing to give up the position of Prime Minister

The Great Wu Dynasty.

Lizheng Hall.

Emperor Wu sat on the dragon throne and glanced at the ministers in the hall.

At this moment, the eunuch beside the Empress spoke up:

"If you have something to report, please do so; otherwise, the court may adjourn."

As soon as the eunuch finished speaking, a minister stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, now that the southeast has been pacified, the vassal kings of various regions of Great Xia are expanding their armies. Great Xia is on the eve of disintegration. I believe we should move our troops eastward. Once Great Xia is in civil war, we will attack Great Xia."

No sooner had this minister finished speaking than another minister said, "Now is the best time to destroy the Great Xia. Once the Great Xia is destroyed, the Great Wu will become stronger than ever before, and Your Majesty will become the emperor with the greatest achievements since the founding of the Great Wu Dynasty."

Subsequently, more ministers stepped forward, and their ideas were basically the same: Great Wu should launch a full-scale war to destroy Great Xia.

Upon hearing the ministers' words, Empress Wu burst into unrestrained laughter. After a while, she spoke, "I truly didn't expect you to be even more anxious than I am!"

"However, then again, the Great Xia should indeed disappear from this world."

At this point, Emperor Wu couldn't help but sigh.

"Time flies. I still remember the boastful words Lu Xingqiu said to me when he came to Dawu. I never thought that I would be in my prime while Lu Xingqiu is about to die."

"Since he's no longer capable, then I'll do a good deed and help him fulfill his past wishes, hahahaha..."

Just as the Emperor was laughing loudly, a soldier specializing in delivering urgent military intelligence suddenly entered the hall. "Your Majesty, there's been unrest in the Northern Kingdom!"

Upon hearing this, the Empress's laughter abruptly stopped.

However, he was then filled with confusion, wondering what the disturbances in the North had to do with them.

The Northern Kingdom doesn't border the Great Wu Kingdom. Could it be that the Northern Kingdom has rebelled and is going to march south to attack the Great Xia Kingdom?

If that's the case, then that would be wonderful.

The eunuch quickly approached the soldier, took the intelligence from his hand, and then strode to the Empress's side, handing the intelligence to her.

When the Emperor Wu received the intelligence and read it, his face instantly darkened.

He originally thought that the Northern Kingdom had already marched south and attacked the Great Xia Dynasty, but he did not expect that the Northern Kingdom had actually bought Yong'an County of Qi Kingdom. In this way, the land of the Northern Kingdom directly bordered the Great Wu Dynasty.

Moreover, it wasn't just a simple matter of bordering each other; the Northern Kingdom also immediately dispatched 30,000 heavy cavalry to garrison Yong'an County.

What is the Northern Kingdom trying to do?

Thirty thousand heavy cavalry were stationed in a small county like Yong'an?

This is clearly aimed at the Great Wu Dynasty!

The ministers in the hall were very curious to see that the Empress's face was so pale. What had the Northern Kingdom done to make the Empress's face look so pale?

Just then, Emperor Wu spoke up, saying, "The Northern Kingdom has purchased Yong'an County from the Qi Kingdom and has stationed 30,000 heavy cavalry there."

These words immediately sparked a flurry of discussion in the main hall.

"What? The Northern Kingdom actually bought Yong'an County of the Qi Kingdom? Does that mean the Northern Kingdom is now bordering the Great Wu Kingdom?"

"What is the Northern Kingdom trying to do?"

"They just bought Yong'an County and immediately dispatched 30,000 heavy cavalry to garrison it. They're probably after Da Wu!"

"Didn't the Princess just sign a trade cooperation agreement with the Northern Kingdom? How could the Northern Kingdom do something like this?"

……

Hearing the discussions among the officials in the hall, the Empress Wu spoke up: "What do you, my dear ministers, think is the purpose of the Northern King's actions?"

Upon hearing this, a minister stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, the Northern King may very well be planning to buy Yong'an County, and then march directly south from Yong'an County, bypassing the Qi Kingdom, and attack the Great Xia Dynasty."

After hearing the minister's guess, Emperor Wu continued, "I didn't make it clear earlier. Although the Northern Kingdom bought Yong'an County, it only bought half of it. The half that they bought does not border the territory controlled by the Great Xia Dynasty."

This……

Upon hearing the Empress's words, the ministers were stunned.

When most ministers heard that the Northern Kingdom had bought Yong'an County, they thought that the Northern Kingdom was planning to take over the cities controlled by the Great Xia Dynasty. However, the Northern Kingdom only bought half of it, which only bordered the Great Wu Dynasty. Doesn't that mean that the Northern Kingdom was really after the Great Wu Dynasty?

Those were 30,000 heavy cavalry, and they were heavy cavalry from the Northern Kingdom. Although they had never witnessed the strength of the Northern Kingdom's army firsthand, ever since the Northern King went to the Northern Kingdom, the northern barbarians had not gained any advantage against the Northern Kingdom's army.

If the 30,000 heavy cavalry from the North were to enter the Great Wu Dynasty, the Great Wu Dynasty would need to deploy at least tens of thousands of soldiers to deal with them.

At this moment, the Empress's gaze fell upon Chai Jiliang. "Minister Chai, what is your opinion on this matter?"

Chai Jiliang thought for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty, I believe that the Northern Kingdom's purchase of Yong'an County and its stationing of troops there is mainly to deter Great Wu and prevent Great Wu from launching an attack on Great Xia during its internal turmoil."

Emperor Wu said, "Emperor Xia is already on his deathbed, so why isn't the Northern King thinking about seizing the throne? Why is he instead wary of Great Wu?"

Chai Jiliang said, "Perhaps the Northern King did not intend to immediately seize that position. Although the Northern Kingdom has a strong military, it is not wealthy. When the Northern King arrived in the Northern Kingdom, it was extremely poor and had nothing. The reason why the Northern Kingdom is where it is today is mainly because the Northern King valued commerce and used trade to alleviate the shortage of food and clothing in the Northern Kingdom."

"The Northern Kingdom is still relatively fragile. If a large-scale war were to break out, it would be difficult for the Northern Kingdom's army to conquer the entire Great Xia with its limited resources."

"Therefore, the best course of action for the Northern King is to wait and stabilize the development of the Northern Kingdom. Once the various vassal kings within the Great Xia have finished fighting each other and their strength has been weakened, the Northern Kingdom can then reap the benefits."

Upon hearing Chai Jiliang's words, the Empress Wu said, "So, the Northern King and I actually share the same thoughts?"

Chai Jiliang said, "That's what I think."

The Emperor snorted and said, "No wonder the Northern King immediately dispatched 30,000 heavy cavalry to Yong'an County after he bought it."

"In this way, if we want to send troops to Great Xia, we must get past the Northern Kingdom."

At this point, Emperor Wu fell into deep thought, as did the ministers in the hall who had just advocated sending troops against the Great Xia.

In the current situation, if Da Wu were to send troops to Da Xia, the Northern Kingdom would inevitably send troops to attack Da Wu. The Northern Kingdom's military strength is not weak, and fighting on two fronts would be a great disadvantage for Da Wu.

We must think of a way, preferably to win over the Dayue Dynasty.

After a while, Emperor Wu said to one of the eunuchs beside him, "Go and inform the Princess that she should come to the Imperial Study after court. I have something to discuss with her."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

After the eunuch left, Emperor Wu said, "If we want to destroy the Great Xia, it will be difficult for Great Wu alone. I plan to win over Great Yue and form an alliance with Great Yue to jointly attack the Great Xia Dynasty."

Upon hearing Emperor Wu's words, the Minister of Rites stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty's move is truly brilliant! By having Dayue hold back the Northern Kingdom, we, Great Wu, can then attack Great Xia with peace of mind. Dayue was able to withstand the southward advance of the barbarian coalition, so holding back a small Northern Kingdom should be no problem for them."

Upon hearing this, the Martial Emperor said calmly, "I just don't know if the Eldest Princess can persuade Dayue."

At this point, the Empress glanced at the officials in the hall and said, "Do any of you ministers have anything else to say? If not, this morning court session will end here."

Upon hearing this, an official stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, the Princess is already of marriageable age. It is time for Your Majesty to choose a suitable husband for her."

As soon as the words were spoken, the entire court fell into complete silence. You could hear people breathing. All the ministers' eyes were on the Empress, as if they were waiting for her answer.

Princess Chang's marriage has always been a major concern for the court officials. Since she is currently single, many officials are worried that Empress Wu will groom her as her successor and have her marry into the royal family.

Many ministers are now thinking that if the eldest princess could be married off ahead of time, they could use her marriage as a pretext to gradually weaken her power.

In the eyes of the imperial family, it was clearly abnormal that the eldest princess was already in her thirties and still unmarried. They believed she was plotting something, and they would not be at ease as long as she remained unmarried. They always felt that the eldest princess would become the next emperor of the Great Wu.

Upon hearing someone mention Wu Yunwan's marriage, Emperor Wu smiled and said, "It seems you are even more concerned about Yunwan's lifelong happiness than I am."

"However, I once promised her that I would help her choose a husband only when she was ready to get married."

"She doesn't want to get married right now, so let's just drop this matter."

Upon hearing this, an older member of the imperial clan couldn't stand it any longer. He immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, since ancient times, women of the Great Wu have married at the age of sixteen. How can a woman be over thirty and still unmarried?"

"If the eldest princess refuses to marry, it will inevitably lead to other women following suit. If all the women of Great Wu are unwilling to marry, then Great Wu's population may decline drastically, which would shake the very foundation of the nation!"

"The eldest princess is a royal princess. Even if Your Majesty has bestowed upon her the title of eldest princess, she should not be given special privileges. Your Majesty should choose a good husband for the eldest princess as soon as possible."

Upon hearing these words, Emperor Wu's face darkened. As an emperor, how could he not know what these people were thinking?

These people were clearly afraid that they would pass the throne to Wu Junwan.

The reason he made Wu Yunwan the eldest princess was due to some special circumstances, but it does not mean that he would violate ancestral rules and pass the throne to a woman.

At this moment, Emperor Wu said, "I will speak to Yunwan about this matter later. Do any of you ministers have anything else to attend to? If not, the court may adjourn."

Seeing that Empress Wu did not give a clear answer, the ministers knew that she most likely had no intention of getting married.

Just then, Chai Jiliang suddenly stepped forward and boldly said, "Your Majesty, I have long admired the Princess. I humbly request Your Majesty to grant me her hand in marriage."

Upon hearing this, the entire hall fell into a deathly silence.

It was common knowledge that Chai Jiliang and the Eldest Princess had an unusual relationship, but no one expected that Chai Jiliang would dare to propose to Empress Wu that he wanted to marry the Eldest Princess.

The ministers couldn't help but think, "Has Chai Jiliang gone mad?"

He gave up his good position as prime minister to actually want to marry the eldest princess!

Since ancient times, the sons-in-law of the Great Wu Dynasty have never been given important positions. Even those who once held official positions would have their positions stripped after marrying a princess. This was to prevent the sons-in-law from usurping power.

Generally, a princess's husband is not given important positions, let alone the eldest princess.

Given the status and position of the eldest princess, anyone who marries her will essentially have their career ruined.

Chai Jiliang is the prime minister. If he marries the princess and his official position is not reduced, then the princess's power in the court will be immense. Therefore, if Chai Jiliang really marries the princess, he will have to resign from his position as prime minister.

People were puzzled, wondering what had gotten into Chai Jiliang.

However, at this moment, Emperor Wu revealed a smile and then said, "Minister Chai, you are the minister I value most. You should think carefully. You are now the prime minister. If you really marry Yunwan, you may not be able to enter the Lizheng Hall every day in the future."

Chai Jiliang said, "I have already thought it through. For the sake of the Princess, I am willing to give up the position of Prime Minister."

Upon hearing Chai Jiliang's words, the ministers in the hall all thought that this guy must have something wrong with his head, that he would actually give up his career for a woman.

Although being the prime minister in the Great Wu Dynasty is a high-risk profession, with nine out of ten prime ministers meeting a bad end, a prime minister is still a prime minister and wields considerable power. This guy actually said he didn't want it anymore.

Just then, a member of the imperial clan stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, Lord Chai is a man of great talent and has devoted himself to the Great Wu. He is fully worthy of the Princess. Since Lord Chai is willing to give up his position as Prime Minister for the Princess, I humbly request Your Majesty to grant him a marriage alliance."

This time, the Emperor was not angry. He then said, "Minister Chai, I already know your thoughts, but I have also said that Yunwan's marriage should be decided by her own decision. How about this, I will find an opportunity to ask her and see what she thinks."

"Alright, that concludes this matter. My beloved ministers, is there anything else? If not, the court may adjourn."

Upon hearing Empress Wu's words, some ministers immediately realized that they had been tricked.

It's true that Chai Jiliang likes the Eldest Princess; the two have always had a good relationship. Everyone knows that Chai Jiliang is on the Eldest Princess's side, so he will stay in the court for her sake and would never propose to marry her.

By bringing this up at this time, isn't he just letting others know that he, Chai Jiliang, has taken a liking to the Princess, and that everyone else should step aside?

It should be noted that Chai Jiliang was a capable minister under Empress Wu, and Empress Wu would definitely not agree to marry the eldest princess to Chai Jiliang. As a result, the eldest princess's marriage was delayed indefinitely and eventually came to nothing.

After figuring out why Chai Jiliang had proposed marrying the eldest princess, the ministers immediately began to hate him with a passion.

Today's events will surely reach the ears of the common people very quickly. Then everyone will know that Chai Jiliang admires the Princess. One is a trusted minister of the Empress, and the other is the Empress's beloved daughter. The two are such a perfect match, who would dare to interfere?

However, if the Empress does not grant the marriage, the relationship between the two will continue to drag on, the Princess will remain single, and Chai Jiliang will remain the Prime Minister.

……

at the same time.

After leaving the Hall of Establishing Government, Emperor Wu went to the Imperial Study, where Wu Yunwan was already waiting.

Upon seeing the Emperor enter, Wu Yunwan immediately bowed and said, "Greetings, Father Emperor."

The Emperor spoke directly, saying, "Yunwan, your father has a task for you."

Emperor Wu didn't actually want Wu Yunwan to accumulate too many merits, but the mission to Dayue to win over the Yue Emperor and form an alliance to destroy Da Xia was something only Wu Yunwan could do.

Wu Yunwan has a very good relationship with Emperor Yue, and only she is likely to be able to persuade him, making it more likely that other people will fail in their mission to Dayue.

(End of this chapter)